Osteoporosis is a common metabolic disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and a reduction of bone strength. Osteoblasts differentiate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and stimulate bone formation and calcification. Adipocytes also differentiate mesenchymal stem cells. There is an inverse relationship between the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to osteoblasts and adipocytes. Osteoclasts are developed from hematopoietic progenitors and promote bone resorption. The differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells is involved in the development of osteoporosis.
Patients with osteoporosis suffer from a decrease in osteoblastic bone formulation and an increase in osteoclastic bone resorption, which can lead to a dramatic reduction in bone mass. Osteoporosis is more common in women after the beginning of menopause, affecting at least 200 million worldwide, with one third between ages 60 and 70 years and two thirds above age 80. Osteoporosis is recognized as a major public health threat.
Studies have shown that osteoporosis is more prevalent in people with obesity and type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Osteoporotic fractures are common in overweight or obese people, particularly obese men. Secondary causes of osteoporosis include obesity and diabetes, which is associated with bone marrow adiposity. Thus, there is a need for new treatments that inhibit adipogenesis and stimulate osteoblastogenesis to treat osteoporosis, particularly in people with obesity or diabetes.
β-Caryophyllene is a natural sesquiterpene present in the essential oils of many plants such as clove, hemp Cannabis sativa, rosemary Rosmarinus oficinalis, and hops. β-Caryophyllene has been approved as a food additive by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is widely used in foods as a flavor and aroma enhancer.
The effects of β-Caryophyllene on inflammation have been known for years. Its effect on bone stem cell differentiation has not been previously known before the present invention.
The aim of this invention is to use β-Caryophyllene to modulate the differentiation of bone marrow cells, and to develop methods and pharmaceutical formulations that can effectively treat osteoporosis and related conditions.